Life Lately: Breakfast, bars and cooler climates

Finally the temperatures are falling and when I say falling I mean we dipped below 40 last week and the humidity has not been so intense. Well at least there is some progress. The mornings are blissful and walking the dog at 6am is becoming less of a hassle as the air lightens and a cool breeze washes through the marina. It's nice not to feel drained after just 20 minutes outside and I am sure this infamous Dubai winter weather everyone keeps telling me about is going to be beautiful. 

In other news I talked on the radio. Yeh that's right, little old me got sucked into doing a radio interview for work and although I was insanely nervous, I did it. Without making a fool of myself or stuttering so that's a rather big achievement in my book. It was at one of the large English speaking stations here and sitting in a little soundproof studio, wearing headphones and talking into a huge microphone, was rather interesting. And I took my first farm trip! 

Obviously it involved a very early start and I was up at 5am, cruising through Dubai and into Sharjah, the next emirate, as the sun rose. I haven't been on a farm since I was a child and it was quite interesting to talk to our farm guys there about what and how they are growing stuff and how they are combatting the climate which brings with it many limitations in terms of growing. Seeing all this wonderful green stuff sprouting from the ground got me excited about the coming months. 

I had never been inside a radio studio and it was less claustrophobic than I thought it might be. The presenters were lovely and made me feel completely at ease and after just a minute of chatting away, I almost forget where I was or why I was sitting there with big radio headphones on. Well that's something to tick off the bucket list if life isn't it. 

Now we are fulling into the swing of things, we have started to explore Dubai a little more and the fact that we're making friends has helped with that too since we have exploring companions who actually act more like tour guides since they know this city a lot better than us. In the last couple of weeks we have tried out some new eateries and frequented some of the bars on our doorstep here in the marina, all of which have been rather nice. 

I took my first trip to The Palm a few weekends ago for a little evening of alfresco socialising and it was lovely. We will will obviously have to go back and explore during the day and take advantage of some of the beautiful hotel beaches you can pay to use for the day, but if your on the look out for a relaxes venue for a drink with friends, Beach House Cabana next to Shoreline Apartments is just the thing. With beautiful decor inside and a huge terrace area outside, it has a super relaxed vibe and rather reasonably priced beverages. And a new favourite is Cargo, in Pier 7 in Dubai Marina, which just so happens to be a few minutes walk from our apartment building....convenient! And being in the heart of the Marina means the huge terrace offers fantastic views. 

We have been pretty much on health overload this past week, with nutritious dinners and some early morning gym sessions, which meant a little blowout at the weekend with a delicious breakfast at 25 55 cafe in Dubai Marina Yacht Club; possibly the best breakfast I have ever eaten! The Eggs Benedict Florentine is amazing, creamy and packed full of flavour and they have pork sausages....something which any expat in Dubai will know is a big deal breaker. You would never guess pork was stuff a big deal but once you have tried the delights of a chicken sausage you will know what I mean. 

I also experience my first sandstorm which was rather exciting...for a few minutes. Sheikh Zayed Road suddenly disappeared behind a thick cloud of sand and darkness fell as it washed over the city. It is funny how quickly it appeared; with blue sky and sunshine one minute and dark, sand clouds hovering above us the next. I am pretty sure the pooch was not too impressed when we had to venture out for a walk. 

Life Lately: smoothies, new shoes and a morning run

It has been two weeks since I did a life lately post and I don't honestly know where the time has gone. 

Many people assume expat life is a permanent holiday (all you expat readers know different) but the reality is, only the weekends are! The standard working week still plays a part in our lives and actually at the moment, it is too hot to spend an hour at the beach let alone a day, so we are mostly inside, soaking up cold conditioned air and watching Suits during the weekends. Oh the craziness of expat life! 

But back to my point; time is flying by because the everyday elements of life still occur even over here in the Middle East. The dog still wakes up at 6am everyday, the washing still has to be done although it does dry a hell of a lot quicker here than in the UK and house chores are necessary, despite everyone telling us to get a maid. A maid is one of those "Dubai bubble" trappings that I refuse to fall into because why would I pay someone else to clean when I have two hands and I am perfectly capable. Just saying. 

I think the fact that I love my new job so much is only adding to the speed in which days go by; I wake up every morning sleepy but excited to get into the office and turn on my laptop which is a weird yet lovely feeling. I haven't mentioned much about the job on here because I want to introduce you to it properly and there a few little projects that I am working on which I want to come to fruition first. 

Needless to say, working at an organic food company is having a wonderful impact on our diets; the fridge has never been fuller, crammed with fresh fruits and veggies and organic basil pesto. The increase in fruits in my fridge means I am slowly becoming addicted to smoothies but I guess there could be worse things to become addicted to right. 

I think the job is rubbing off on most parts of my life an the healthy eating definitely reminded me that I have been a big slacker on the running front since I got to Dubai. My excuse is I feel like I have no time but that is a poor one really. 

I was running every other day in the UK and loved the feeling of the fresh morning air as I ran through the park. No such feeling here, more a sweaty t shirt stuck to my back and a face that resembles a tomato. But after I had cooled down in the safe, air conditioned confines of our apartment I felt a sense of achievement. It was quite invigorating to get out early on Friday morning and utilise the marina as my new running track. Although the 75% humidity that had already crept out at that time in the morning made my run a little more challenging than I thought it would be. 

In other news I received new shoes this week. The boyfriend has been trying to get me to share his love for trainers for the last however many years and I think he may have finally cracked it. Returning home with a rather beautiful pair of Adidas Originals ZX 500 2.0 womens trainers in black. They have a gorgeous leather overlay which almost resembles leopard print and the inside literally moulded around my feet. Hands down they are the comfiest shoes ever to grace my feet and they look gorgeous and cool at the same time. I feel a style overhaul coming on! 

Oh and we added a few more touches to the apartment but you will have probably seen it already. 

Life Lately: Ramadan went quick

Ramadan flew by in the blink of an eye; a month has passed, Eid celebrations have begun and we can drink water in public and go out for lunch again. In retrospect, the whole Ramadan situation has been easier to navigate than I originally thought it would be. You make little changes to suit the situation like not walking to the metro station midday, only going to the mall for a few hours and swimming in the evening.

We never got around to experiencing a traditional Iftar; the cities restaurants and hotels offer a million different options and as newbies in Dubai I guess we were rather overwhelmed by it all. Maybe this time next year we will get our act together and immerse ourselves in more of the cultural aspects of Ramadan. 

We feel settled in Dubai already; getting to know the city, finding our way around and adapting to the new weekend schedule with ease.  So we have decided to start a Dubai bucket list, with all the things we want to do and see and places we want to visit and more importantly, stuff we want to eat. The Fish and Fruit Market in Deira was one thing on the list that we ticked off this weekend. A huge outdoor, covered market in the older part of the city, on the water, the Fish and Fruit Market is a feast for your senses. It is loud and chaotic and crammed with fresh fish straight from the boat and a whole host of fruits and veggies, creating a rather colourful and ambient experience, but more about that later. 

This week we also ventured out onto the water, courtesy of a friend who scooped us up onto a boat and gave us a tour of Dubai Marina from the water. We have walked the 8km's or so along the Marina Promenade, taking in the skyline and the boats, but seeing this little metropolis from the water is a whole other experience. And we got a rather nice view of the Burj Al Arab. 

Eid started yesterday which made for a nice long weekend with an extra two days off, but reality returned today and normal operations resume as I head back to work. Life lately hasn't been too shabby. 

Life Lately: cloudy mornings and a dog ban

This past week has seen the humidity race up and every time I leave the confines of an air conditioned building, my glasses cloud over, my phone screen steams up and slowly but surely, a warm layer of sweat appears on my skin. It sound's lovely right. 

The mornings, and when I say mornings i'm referring to 6am, are equally humid and dare I say it cloudy. Or is it fog. Or maybe haze. What's the difference I don't know, but the point is the mornings have an eery, haunted city feel to them as I walk the pooch on the empty streets. And then bam. Suddenly the skies clear and the sun returns, waking from its slumber. 

My morning then proceeds in a frantic haze of showering, breakfast and too many minutes spent in front of the wardrobe trying to decide what to wear to work. I have forgotten how indecisive I am in the morning and must start picking outfits the night before. Well it didn't matter if I wore my grey cotton maxi dress everyday when I was unemployed did it. 

My first week at work, aside from the wardrobe dilemmas, was wonderful. It carried the smell of fresh basil, it made me feel worthwhile and it gave a purpose to my days. To actually begin to develop a life/work routine again is making me one happy expat. 

And the other big news this week is the signs that sprung up, out of nowhere, along the Dubai Marina Walk, declaring dogs were no longer welcome. I thought something fishy was going on when the dog poop bins mysteriously disappeared a few days earlier and in my naivety, I thought maybe they were replacing them. 

Nope. Dogs are no longer allowed along the promenade which runs the length of the Marina, which is a shame because we moved to this apartment because of the areas "dog-friendly" reputation.  But I also understand why it has happened; some very irresponsible dog owners who don't clean up after their pooches have ruined it for the rest of us. Oh well, we will roll with the times and find an alternative. At least we live at the end of the marina where there's plenty of open, unused land to walk her. 

No more morning snaps of the marina in its sleepy state. You were probably getting bored of those anyway. 

Life Lately: finding my feet and a happy dog

Last time I talked about a job interview, now I can talk about a job. Because after three weeks of slogging over my computer and sending out cover letter after cover letter, a couple of interesting opportunities and one interview later, I am no officially employed. 

The relief and excitement are mixed within my stomach and I think there are a few nerves thrown into the equation. Nerves because I have been in a new city for little under a month, have not worked in nearly three and feel like I may or may not have forgotten what a normal working week routine is like. 

Finding a job in Dubai has been quite an easy process when I come to think about it and I thank my lucky stars that such a fitting opportunity came up when it did. Luck seems to be on my side at the moment and I am sure embarking on a new working experience is going to help me feel way more settled. It is easy to forget, after days of lounging round the pool and a spot of sightseeing that I am not actually on holiday. I don't have to go home. Because this is home now. 

It all feels a little bit dreamlike and my instagram feed portrays an amazing life. But I am not taking anything for granted; I know how lucky I am to be here. I am sure I will come back down to earth with a bang, come Sunday morning when the alarm goes off at 6am, but even then, I am grateful for this city and the opportunities it keeps throwing my way. 

I spent my last free week, swimming and soaking up a little more sun and wandering round some malls, taking in their beauty. Yeh I say beauty because the malls here are quite stunning with their quirky details and culturally reflective decorations. I barely did any shopping, instead, walking around with my eyes fixed up above (because the ceilings in these places are usually insane). If you are in Dubai and haven't been to Ibn Battuta Mall, it is worth it for the stunning decor, with each section of the mall being modelled on a different theme. And check out the Souk Atrium in Dubai Mall, it is a beauty. 

Obviously while I was at the mall I had to pick up a little congratulations-I-got-a-job blouse from H&M for my first day at work. It would have been rude not to. 

We also managed to explore the rest of Dubai Marina this week, which is about an 8km walk from our apartment to the other end. We are at the quieter end of Dubai Marina and I was intrigued to see what the "more developed" end looked like. Well there are a lot more buildings, more of a buzz and some nice restaurants and bars. But I wouldn't want to live there; tall building after tall building is crammed in and it feels like a small, sweaty version of London. Plus I much prefer the peace and quiet at our end. The 8km walk back was certainly made a little easier after topping up our stomachs at Johnny Rockets, an American style diner.

And yes that is the pooch on the beach. Yeh you thought Dubai wasn't dog friendly right? Well it is amazing what a little courteous chit chat can achieve. Being nice to people gets you far and the security guard who mans the power station entry road near our house, was very obliging when we asked, super nicely, if we could take the dog down to the little bit of private beach that is adjacent to the powerstation office building. 

The excitement on her face, to be off leash, running around with sand beneath her paws was priceless. She's still a scaredy cat when it comes to waves though. 

Life Lately: 3 weeks feels more like 3 years

I can't get enough of the sunsets at the moment; the sun falls early in these parts, but it brings with it some much needed relief from the soaring temperatures that bake the city to a crisp. The skyline becomes a harsh silhouette that almost disturbs the softness of the yellow sky. I don't I will ever tire of snapping a sunset. 

Taking the pooch for a stroll is becoming a daily challenge which needs to be executed with military precision, or so it seems. Between the 8am and 7pm, the pavement is too hot for her little paws. Even outside of those hours, the sun beats down on her and she looks up at me as we walk, with her bright red tongue, flopping out of her mouth as she pants to cool herself down, like errrr can I take this fur coat off now. This week an extra midnight walk along Dubai Marina which is dog friendly, was pleasant for her paws and it's nicer for us too. 

After just three weeks I found such a great breakfast spot, the 25 55 cafe at Dubai Marina Yacht Club, which conveniently or dangerously, depending on how you look at it, is about a 5 minute walk along the waterfront from our building. 

There has been lounging by the pool, which has become increasingly difficult since Ramadan arrived, a very traumatic afternoon at the beach (but more about that another time) and a job interview. The week has flown by and I feel more settled than ever as I take the brave steps of some solo exploration.